GriBBsY's Beginner's
Guide To

Going Defence

If you're
on a server with a bunch of newbies then you can bet that they've all
gone running out to capture the flag on their own. They won't make it
(unless the opposition are really bad). In the mean time the enemy has
all the time in the world to blow your base into smithereens and capture
your flag. Defence is never the most exciting job in the world, and
can reap few rewards. However, an experienced player will acknowledge
the great job you are doing for the rest of the team - and hopefully
give you some encouragement.

The first
thing you should consider doing on defence is laying turrets. How to
accomplish this is the most frequently asked newbie question - readthis
and don't forget it! To lay a turret you need to purchase a turret from
an inventory station. Adding it to one of you favourite setups is a
good idea. You can only carry a turret if you are wearing medium or
heavy armour. Then find a suitable place to lay it. Preferably choose
somewhere that it will catch an enemy intruder by surprise - eg. in
a shadowed area or behind an object.

Deployable
turrets are easy to destroy from a distance (with the aid of the zoom),
so the less obvious you make them the better. Once you've found your
chosen area, look down at the ground at about a 45 degree angle then
hit the 'P' key. If it doesn't work, read the message bar. If a message
reads 'Deploy Position Out Of Range' you need to look down a little
more. If the message reads 'You're in The Way' then it's because you're
pointing at your feet - look up a little. If it still won't go down,
remember there's a limit to the amount of turrets a team can lay, and
you can't place them too close to each other - the message bar will
let you know if either of these happens. Run back to the inventory station
and pick up another turret. Do the same again until you've exhausted
the amount of turrets you can put down.

To maximise
the capabilities of your turrets, it's also a good idea to lay motion
sensors nearby. Otherwise an enemy equipped with a jammer pack can walk
straight by your turret network without a shot being fired. Motion sensor's
are laid in the same way as turrets. However, they can be carried by
all armour classes.

With turrets
down your base is a lot safer. They'll defend you well against lightly
armoured units running in for a quick flag snatch but you'll need to
use the rest of your arsenal to deal with the heavier enemy.

To identify
who is on your team and who's an enemy, look at the coloured arrows
above players heads. Green is your team and red is the enemy. If an
arrow doesn't appear, then it's probably an enemy near to a sensor jammer
or carrying a jammer pack - shoot the bast.

Consider
sniping with the laser rifle from a good vantage point - this way you
can pick off enemies from afar. Alternatively go heavy and arm yourself
with a mortar gun - this has a good range and large blast radius but
is tricky to aim with at first. Note: It's not a good idea to use the
mortar gun for this purpose if team damage is on, your teammates will
accuse you of being a TK'er (Team Killer) and you'll probably, quite
rightly, get kicked off the server.

Another
important job of the defence is to repair your base. To repair you can
either buy a Repair Pack from an Inventory Station or pick one up from
nearby your base (there is usually one nearby). Once you have it, hit
the 'P' key, the repair gun should appear. Now you can stand in front
of damaged items and pressing the fire button will restore them to their
former glory. If the opposing team has taken out your power supply then
this should be your first priority for repair (none of the other structures
work without it). Remember you can repair your teammates with the repair
pack in the same way, and also, if nothing is in range, you can repair
yourself. If somebody repairs you then remember to say thanks (VET).

Obviously
the biggest job of a defender in a CTF game is to protect the flag at
all costs. Keep an eye on the message bar for any indication that your
flag is under threat or has been taken. If the enemy as has gotten out
with the flag then get after them. Consider suicide with a heavy weapon
if you can take the flag carrier out with you - the chances are you
will respawn nearer the flag than he does, and can return it back to
base.

That's
it for the basics on defence. With time you'll acquire your own strategies
and adjust how you play according to what your teammates are up to.
When you know the maps and how to use the weapons then think about helping
out in attack.

I personally
prefer to play a defensive role, always did on Quake / Quake 2 - it's
far less strenuous on the old ticker.